Pregnancy Week 38: Stepdown Snatches

Another Tuesday and I'm still pregnant! I was noticing with my MIL that because Asher came at 37.5 weeks, we act like Baby #2 will come along any day now, even though I am 1.5 weeks away from my due date still. Well, that day is not yet here, so I decided to try out snatches while I could. This morning's workout took me a while to get started since I had been experiencing intermittent mild contractions overnight and even though I was not currently having any contractions, I wasn't sure if I should even be doing any activity "just in case". I picked up the 8 kg (18 pounds) and did a few snatches. At this weight, it was light enough not to be very taxing aerobically or strength-wise, but enough to help me go through the functional movements that are so important to healthy movement and this exercise itself.

Activity:
KB snatches
20/20/10/10 (8 kg) R/L alternating with 15/15/15/15 R/L (10 kg) x 5, for 600 total snatches. This felt great during and afterwards!

Breakfast:
Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 4 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed, 1/2 C blueberries)

Lunch:
Homemade chicken soup with carrots and dates
Handful Organic dark chocolate chips

First Dinner:
Chicken (from lunch) with stir-fried Chayote squash, celery salt

Second Dinner (10:30 p.m., I got hungry!):
Leftover stirfried chicken with Chayote squash in celery salt

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 37: Active Rest

Pregnancy insomnia continues...I was up at 4, seemingly wide awake, but then pretty much crashed at 6 a.m., when my alarm went off to get up for this morning's workout. Well, I nixed that idea, went back to bed, and was happy that I got a few more minutes of sleep. I was able to get a little workout in later on in the day, but let me just say, for the record, that I am pretty much done with this pregnancy gig. I know, I know. Most women carry their babies until 40 weeks (40 WEEKS!!!) and I've got nothing to complain about, since I've been feeling great for the most part and have been blessed to be able to continue with exercise.

Activity:
2 rounds of modified Shoulder smoker with 10 kg: Clean, then Military press descending ladder R/L 8, 6, 4, 2, 1
Planks 5 x 1 minute
1 hour walk with Asher in double stroller

Breakfast (again, no appetite, couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat):
1 banana
1 plum

Morning snack (since breakfast was obviously lacking in quantity and culinary interest!):
Handful Roasted Mixed nuts

Lunch (3 p.m.):
3 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 2 handfuls sauteed organic baby spinach, 2 spoonfuls salsa, 1/2 avocado
2 handfuls Organic Dark Chocolate chips

Afternoon snack:
2 slices Organic Fuji apple

I took a nap for an hour at 8:30, then was a little hungry, so had "dinner":

Dinner (10 p.m.): Bowl of leftover fish soup
The corn tortilla chips were calling me (they've been calling me ever since we got them on Sunday for our Superbowl Cheat meal! My staple used to be chips and salsa, but I have only had that once this entire pregnancy, last Sunday being the first time, since corn is not on the Paleo approved list). The opened bag is still sitting on the countertop in full view. I had entirely too much....used it to scoop avocado so I could start feeling "full". On Sunday, when I had chips for the first time this pregnancy, my fingers got slightly puffy. Thanks to the Paleo diet, I haven't had any puffiness or swelling during this pregnancy, so it was really a difference after I ate those corn chips! Just waiting for the puffy fingers to strike again now! I tried to salvage the poor nutritional content of the meal (just the massive amount of corn chips I ate...the Fish soup was Paleo all the way), I had 8 ounces of Monavie w/ glucosamine, hoping the antioxidant benefits of the various berries in the juice would redeem me somehow. I am feeling very full right now and a little sick....who's betting that labor will start tonight of all nights?! I have since hidden the chips....

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 36: Kettlebell Swings

In celebration of the first day of my ninth month of pregnancy, I did a high volume KB swing workout. The movement felt so great that if I had had more time, I would have kept going!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10kg), total 1000 swings
4 x 100, then 3 x 200 (various combinations of two- and one-handed swings)
45 min brisk walk with Asher in double stroller
Long slow 60 min run/walk with Asher (on foot), 21 months old

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
1 banana with almond butter
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Small bowl leftover curry beef steak soup
1 Fuji apple

Dinner:
Paleo Coconut milk with chicken soup (from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson), carrots, spinach.
Handful Organic Thompsons Raisins
10 dark chocolate chips

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: KB combination lifts and bodyweight training

As my due date draws nearer, I feel the pressure (literally!) to train my squats even more. Squatting opens up the pelvic outlet, which is certainly a positive thing during birth!

Activity:
KB clean-military press-overhead squat (10 kg) x 10 each side
Advanced position sideplanks x 18 each side

Repeat cycle 10x

Breakfast (I had what was left of the lunch I made Adam this morning):
Curry beef with spinach, mushroom medley, onions, garlic; 1/2 avocado and 1 diced roma tomato
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone (with organic ground flaxseed and chia seed)

Morning snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch (at 3:30 p.m. LOL! wasn't hungry after the scone!):
Spinach salad with green and red bell peppers, cucumber, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 banana with almond butter
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner:
GF Rockfish Fish sticks (from the Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam) with ketchup
1 scrambled egg (leftover from the fish sticks)
2 kiwi
10 ounces Monavie with glucosamine

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Tuesday Snatches

Here we are again, a wonderful Tuesday, and my favorite workout of the week! Still feels good throughout the entire movement.

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)

15/15/15/15 R/L alternated with
20/20/10/10 R/L

completed 5 sets of each for a total of 600 snatches

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1 handful spinach, 1 roma tomato, 1/2 avocado

Morning snack:
1/2 C roasted mixed nuts

Lunch:
Medium Spinach salad with cucumbers and red peppers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
7 strawberries
1 banana

Dinner:
Pork with squash, stir fried with sea salt & pepper
Chinese baby bokchoy
3 pieces See's candies Dark Cal Brittle (my favorite!)
Handful Organic Thompson's Raisins

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Who needs sleep when you can kettlebell?

I was finally tired at 1 a.m. I slept until 2:30 a.m., then laid in bed awake, drowsy, but unable to fall asleep until 3:30 a.m. when I decided to get up and do my workout! It was a good workout, but I was sleepy by the end....

Activity:
Inverted KB Clean-Press pyramid (10 kg) 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5 R/L x 5
Single Leg Deadlift (12 kg) 10 x 10 R/L
Ab Roller 10 x 10

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo chocolate chip banana scone (made with the addition of chia seed and ground flaxseed)

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken, salsa, guacamole from Chipotle's

Dinner:
Rockfish w/ tomatoes and onions, sea salt & pepper
Winter melon soup with kale
2 pieces of dark chocolate from See's candies
Shared a slice of Almond Roca chocolate cake with mom, who had dinner with us tonight!

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Quick KB strengthening

I had a quick, fun workout this morning with the 10 kg KB. Here's what I did:

Activity:
Pullups 2 x 4 (narrow grip), 2 x 3 (wide grip)

then,
KB bent over rows 10 x 10
KB Front Squat 5 x 5 R, 5 x 5 L
Side planks (advanced position) 10 x 18 each side

I followed that with Tracy Reifkind's Shoulder smoker using the 8 kg:
Clean, Military Press R/L 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1

Breakfast:
1 sunnyside up omega-3 egg with 1/2 avocado
1/2 large bowl Vitamix drink (1 c cultured coconut milk, 1 banana, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 kiwi, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 4 Tbsp chia seed)

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover Paleo Salmon Chowder
Handful cashews
Handful organic Thompsons Raisins

Snack:
Handful organic Thompsons Raisins

Dinner:
Bowl of Paleo Curry beef with kale, assorted mushrooms, onion, garlic
1 GF paleo chocolate chip banana scone

Cheat dessert!!! 1/2 slice of Almond Roca Chocolate cake...YUM

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Snatches, How I Love Thee

For the 34th time this pregnancy, I have done a snatch workout on Tuesday. It was lovely. Pregnancy insomnia hit again last night, so I was up early and figured I might as well start my workout!

Activity:
KB snatches with 10 kg, alternating 15/15/15/15 R/L with 20/20/10/10 R/L for 5 cycles each (10 cycles total, 600 snatches total). Felt great!

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C cultured coconut milk with probiotics, 1.5 handfuls organic baby spinach, 2 kiwis, 1 orange, 2 bananas, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed)
6 ounces Goat Milk Kefir blueberry pomegranate flavor
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Paleo Chicken with broccoli and mushroom medley
Garden salad with cucumbers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

First Dinner:
Bowl of paleo Fish soup (Wild rockfish, kale, coconut milk, chicken broth, basil, curry)
Handful Organic thompsons raisins
6 ounces Goat milk kefir

Second Dinner:
Small bowl of paleo fish soup

Snack:
2 GF paleo chocolte chip raisin scones (fresh from the oven!)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: KB strengthening

I did a mix of bodyweight and KB work today.

Activity:
Pullups 2 x 4 (narrow grip), 2 x 3 (wide grip) then,

Goblet squat (10 kg) x 10
Single leg deadlift (12 kg) x 10
Ab Roller x 10

Repeat cycle 10x

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (same recipe as yesterday)

Lunch:
Spinach salad with red bell peppers, tomatoes, 1/2 can light tuna; balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 orange

Snack:
1/2 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner:
Curry beef (organic ground beef, onions, diced carrots, spinach, garlic, curry) on romaine lettuce
1 pear
1 handful Thompsons raisins
15 dark chocolate chips
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Wednesday Swings

There was a Weather Advisory warning of snow and freezing rain in our area yesterday, and overnight. I didn't know how cold it would be in the morning, so instead of going for a run, I did a KB workout in my living room.

Activity:
KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 (various combinations of one- and two-handed swings)

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/4 avocado
3/4 banana

I just am having the hardest time making myself eat my usual vegetables! We now have all the ingredients for my usual Vitamix drink, but no way have I gotten up the motivation to actually make the drink, much less to drink it! And the third trimester is when the fetus stores the most DHA (this is where the ground flaxseed comes in handy) for healthy brain development!!

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover slow cooker Italian pot roast with carrots and celery
1 pear
1 GF, paleo Chocolate chip scone

Snack:
Handful Thompsons raisins

Dinner: (not hungry/no appetite....knew I had to get some kind of green vegetable in light of what I have been eating during the day today and what I usually eat...)
Bowl of paleo Kale chips (kale, grapeseed oil, sea salt and pepper, baked 15 min on parchment paper at 350 degrees; be sure not to overdo the salt like I did!)
Glass of Goat Milk Kefir (blueberry and pomegranate flavor)
Leftover half of Olive Garden chocolate cake from last night

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Tuesday Snatches (yay)!

It was with great eagerness that I set my alarm last night so I would have enough time to get my snatch workout finished this morning. As usual, I was awake from 3:30 until about 5 a.m.; just not able to fall asleep! Anyway, the workout was great fun, can't wait to do it again next week! :)

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) alternated with 20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 600 snatches

The last two sets of the 15/15 and the 20/20 I did without setting the KB down. I was having a little bit of trouble with pinched callouses on my L hand, so I did as many reps as I could on the L before switching to the R (I did the normal reps on the R, which felt really great), and just continued on the L until I was finished with 60 snatches.

At my midwife appointment, I weighed in at 120.0 pounds. I was sure with all the glutenous, comfort eating we did in SC that I would have gained a few pounds. That, and the baby growing, of course. Well, my belly is definitely getting bigger, so we know the baby's growing even if my weight isn't increasing...

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
3/4 banana
1 orange

Lunch:
1.5 bowls paleo beef stew with carrots and celery, ginger
Medium bowl of salad using Romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots; balsamic vinegar and olive oil
2 pieces "Aplets and Cotlets"
1/2 handful roasted mixed nuts

Dinner:
1 bowl slow cooker paleo "Italian Pot Roast" (from Primal Blueprint cookbook)
2 GF paleo Chocolate chip scones
Cheat dessert (mini): 1/2 of a slice of chocolate cake from The Olive Garden
Handful Thompsons raisins

Fluid:
5 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: KB strengthening, Press pyramid

Friday's a great day for a fun little workout!

Activity:
Upside-down KB clean-press pyramid (12 kg) R/L 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5
Single leg deadlift (12 kg) x 10
Ab Roller x 10

Repeat cycle 5x

Breakfast:
Medium bowl Vitamix drink (same recipe as 1/5/11)
1 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Large Romaine lettuce salad with tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers (ran out of spinach!), balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 Ruby red grapefruit

Snack:
1 Fuji apple
4 pieces of 70% dark chocolate with mint squares

Dinner:
Trout, cooked with sea salt and pepper
Vegetable stirfry (cauliflower, celery, carrots)

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: Tuesday KB snatches!

It took a while to get started this morning....but I ended up having a great workout!

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg) = 600 total snatches
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) = 300
20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 300

I ended up doing 4 cycles of the 15/15/15/15 before I thought about mixing up the intensity...then, I had too much fun doing the 20/20/10/10 sets that I finished all 5 cycles before going back to the 15/15! I found that if I really pulled my free arm back during the back swing, I got a better hip hinge and therefore, felt like I just had to stand up and the KB floated overhead. What a fun movement KB snatches are!

Breakfast:
1 banana
1 Ruby grapefruit
2 GF paleo Chocolate scones

Lunch:
Steamed broccoli and Red Pepper & Spinach sausage
1 GF paleo Chocolate scone

Snack:
1 honeycrisp apple

Dinner:
Modified paleo GF "fish sticks" (ran out of almond flour): wild-caught Rockfish dipped in egg, 2 filets
Large bowl of Roasted seasoned brussels sprouts
2 squares of Hershey's Pure dark chocolate
4 ounces Mona-vie w/ glucosamine

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: KB swings and presses

It seems like the Benedryl I took last night had the opposite effect on me, keeping me wide awake instead of making me drowsy. Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to get some KB work done!

Activity:
High volume swings-various combinations of two-hand and one-hand swings
(10 kg) x 100
(12 kg) x 100

Repeat cycle 5 times for a total of 1000 swings

Then, Tracy Reifkind's "shoulder smoker" with 8 kg (R/L):
1 clean, then military press in descending ladder, x 12, x 10, x 8, x 6, x 4, x 2, x 1


Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1/2 banana

Snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone (from The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam)

Lunch:
Spinach salad (2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 1 tomato, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 red pepper and spinach sausages, sliced; balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

Snack:
1 handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
Organic ground beef stirfry with kale, green onions, organic ground flaxseed substituted for 2 eggs, garlic powder and dried ginger
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: "Swinging" in the New Year

Happy 2011! I didn't feel up to exercising until about 7 p.m. today! The right side of my ribcage felt achy, like a side cramp, most of the day. I am also starting to feel like my guts have nowhere to go...and I have at least 5 weeks until the baby is considered full-term! Yikes! Adam did some myofascial release and that helped. I ended up having a pretty nice workout, when I finally got around to doing it!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 = 1000
Side planks (advanced) 10 x 18 = 180 each side

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover Paleo Chili
1 pear
1 banana

Snack:
Handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
1 Ruby grapefruit
1/8 wild Rockfish filet (sea salt, pepper & cayenne pepper)
1/2 C steamed broccoli
1 square Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 31: A Little KB for the Last Day of 2010

This pregnancy has been different from my first in many ways, one of which is that my skin has been extra sensitive. While traveling in SC, I broke out with a rash, possibly from scented laundry detergent, and exacerbated by cold, dry air and insufficient fluid intake. I started taking Benedryl overnight and today, am feeling the after-effects...drowsiness! Today's workout is in honor of my philosophy that Something is better than Nothing!

Activity:
KB clean-press (12 kg) 10x5 (I did this in front of Asher in the kitchen during his lunchtime!)

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up omega 3 eggs with 1/4 avocado
1 pear
1 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip cookie
1 square of Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate

Lunch:
Large Spinach salad with 1 roma tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 can light tuna, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Dinner:
1.5 bowls of Paleo Chili with added kale, carrots

New Year's Eve Dessert!!! Chocolate cake from Olive Garden..YUM

Happy New Year to all!

Pregnancy Week 31: KB Snatches

We got back last night and we have both been itching to bond with our kettlebells after 8 days away. I got my wish this morning and enjoyed every minute of it!

Activity:
High volume snatches with 10 kg, 15/15/15/15 R/L x 10 = 600 snatches

Breakfast (since we got back really late last night, we haven't restocked our fridge and have very little food available):
1/4 avocado
1 slice honeycrisp apple
Handful cashews

Lunch:
Large romaine lettuce salad with 1/2 green bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1 fuji apple, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
3 chewy fruit confections ("Aplets & Cotlets" a made-in-the-Northwest candy)

Dinner:
Costco Rotisserie Chicken breast
1 C steamed broccoli with celery salt
3 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut Chocolate chip cookies
2 spoons of Adam's Coldstone ice cream (we're not quite back to full paleo)

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 30: Tuesday KB Snatches!

Yay, I have been looking forward to this workout all week! I used the 10 kg for today's session....felt Great!

Activity:
High volume KB snatches 10 kg, 15/15/15/15 R/L x 10 = 600 snatches

Breakfast:
1 Bowl of sauteed brussels sprouts seasoned with garlic powder, dried dill, sea salt and pepper
2 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut cookies

Lunch:
1 large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 kiwi, 6 Tbsp ground organic flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)

Dinner (leftover "mish-mash"):
Roasted red pepper and spinach sausage with leftover broccoli and red cabbage, leftover brussels sprouts
1 pear

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 30: KB strengthening

Activity:
KB Clean-Press (12 kg) 10 x 5
KB Goblet squat (12 kg) 5 x 10
KB Single leg deadlift (12 kg) 5 x 10

Breakfast (random food!):
1/2 leftover rockfish filet (sea salt & pepper)
1 Ruby grapefruit
Handful roasted cashews
1 pear

Lunch:
Bowl of sauteed Red Pepper & Spinach sausage w/ 1/2 avocado, brussels sprouts, kale
2 squares Hershey's dark chocolate

Dinner:
Hot Pot w/ kale, nappa cabbage, rockfish, beef, squash, organic chicken broth

Snack:
2 pieces See's candies (we got samples while waiting in line!)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 29: KB strengthening

Quick and dirty KB workout, yeah!

Activity (12 kg):
Double KB Clean-press 5x5
Bent over Row 5x10
Good mornings 5x10
Suitcase squats 5x10
Renegade Rows 5x5

Breakfast:
Medium bowl of Vitamix drink (split from last night's batch)
2 slices of Asher's portion of Roasted Red pepper & Spinach sausage
Handful Roasted unsalted cashews

Birthday lunch:
Paleo hamburger: 1 hamburger patty, 1 salmon filet, tomato, avocado, lettuce and mustard, 1 pickle slice
Cheat birthday dessert: 1 slice Chocolate fudge cake, split with Asher and mom

Dinner:
2 servings roasted brussels sprouts (sea salt, pepper, dill, italian seasoning, garlic powder)
1/2 ribeye steak
2 squares hershey's dark chocolate

Post-dinner snack:
1/2 Ruby grapefruit

Fluid:
6 cups water